Acting on complaint, Frederick shoos birds

Frederick activated its bird-scare program this week on a quiet tree- lined street in the Hillcrest area that reportedly has a bird problem.

Through Friday, the Department of Public Works is shooting a bird gun on Split Rail Lane, where feathered friends have become a nuisance. Frederick City workers are shooting two rounds from a firearm commonly referred to as a bird banger.

The first round is shot at sundown and the second round about 20 minutes later, according to Eva Cosner, a supervisor for public works.

“This is the first complaint,” she said Monday during a telephone interview.

Cosner keeps track of bird complaints for the city. So far this year, only one resident has filed a complaint, but that was enough for the city to take action.

The city takes action only when a resident complains about birds in trees in public right-of-way. Birds on private property are not a city problem, Cosner said.

Residents file about a dozen bird complaints a year, but only half are related to city trees, Cosner said. The other half are on private property.

The bird-scare program is in cooperation with the state department of agriculture’s wildlife division. The offending birds are typically starlings and crows, according to a news release. Shooting a bird gun can only provide temporary relief, Cosner said.